QUESTION-A-DAY #23
23rd May 2018
Revision & Exam Practice for the “legacy” A Level qualifications including:
- Edexcel (Unit 3C – Representative Processes in the USA, Unit 4C – Governing the USA)
- AQA (Unit 3A – The Politics of the USA, Unit 4A – The Government of the USA)
- OCR (F855 – US Government & Politics)
How to use these questions for revision and exam practice:
- For short-answer questions, write a 3 paragraph response using the PEEACH paragraph structure (P=point, E=evidence, E=explain, A=argument, C=counter argument, H=how does this answer the question?)
- Once you have completed your question, read the indicative content and the mark scheme.
- Complete the “Make It Better” (MIB) Task:
- Highlight the parts of the indicative content your were able to fully explain and exemplify in green.
- Highlight the parts of the indicative content you partially explained and/or exemplified in yellow.
- Highlight the parts of the indicative content which you did not include in red.
- Using the mark scheme, award yourself a level and a mark – compare this to your target grade – are you on track to achieve this in the examination?
- There is also a space for you to add additional notes and/or examples that don’t appear in the indicative content, or add better explanations, or include additional, points from the indicative content.
What are the aims of social conservatives, and to what extent have they been achieved? (15)
| P
E A A C H |
|
| P
E A A C H |
|
| P
E A A C H |
|
Indicative Content
The main aims of social conservatives, who are mainly, though not exclusively, found in the Republican Party, include:
| Abortion | · aim: reversal of Roe v Wade, and the return of abortion policy to the states
· evidence of success includes: ; Roe still stands, but the right to abortion has been modified by successive Supreme Court decisions, and a ‘partial-birth’ abortion ban passed by Congress in 2003 was deemed constitutional in 2007 in Gonzalez v Carhart |
| same-sex marriage
|
· aim: a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman
· evidence of success includes: no federal amendment has been passed; state constitution amendments have been passed in several states, but same sex marriage has been recognised in an increasing number since 2004 |
| family life
|
· aim: keeping recreational drugs illegal, promoting abstinence over sex education and preserving the traditional nuclear family
· evidence of success includes: both Colorado and Washington approved propositions in 2012 legalising marijuana; although funds for abstinence programs have fallen since 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services continues to fund them; the Equal Rights amendment remains unpassed |
| education | · aim: an explicitly Christian education system through the reversal of Engel v Vitale and the reinstatement of creationism/intelligent design in the school curriculum
· evidence of success includes: prospects for a constitutional amendment on school prayer look remote; there have been occasional successes in a few states in promoting creationism and intelligent design |
| Supreme Court | · aim: the appointment of a conservative court
· evidence of success includes: the appointment of Samuel Alito moved the Supreme Court to the right support for |
| Israel
|
· aim: strengthening of US financial and military support for Israel
· evidence of success includes: the Obama administration has deviated little from the unqualified support of recent administrations, although the nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense was not welcomed by all supporters of Israel |
| Levels | Descriptors |
| Level 3
(11-15 marks) |
Full and developed knowledge and understanding of relevant institutions, processes, political concepts, theories or debates.
Good or better ability to analyse and explain political information, arguments and explanations. Sophisticated ability to construct and communicate coherent arguments, making good use of appropriate vocabulary. |
| Level 2
(6-10 marks) |
Satisfactory knowledge and understanding of relevant institutions, processes, political concepts, theories or debates.
Sound ability to analyse and explain political information, arguments and explanations. Adequate ability to construct and communicate coherent arguments, making some use of appropriate vocabulary. |
| Level 1
(1-5 marks) |
Limited knowledge and understanding of relevant institutions, processes, political concepts, theories or debates.
Poor ability to analyse and explain political information, arguments and explanations. Weak ability to construct and communicate coherent arguments, making little or no use of appropriate vocabulary. |
| MIB
TASK |
· Highlight the parts of the indicative content your were able to fully explain and exemplify in green.
· Highlight the parts of the indicative content you partially explained and/or exemplified in yellow. · Highlight the parts of the indicative content which you did not include in red. |
| Additional notes/examples:
|
|
0 Comments